Broken Hill Havoc (Broken Hill High Series 5)

“Is it working?” he questions as mom nods, trying to help me along with the decision.

“You’re just going to buy me a house near campus?”

“Why wouldn’t we?” mom questions. “You’re our only child and we want you to be happy.”

“You’re serious, right now?”

“Yes,” dad sighs, hating repeating himself. “Now, assuming that you’re on board with all of this. We’ve found a few properties we’d like you to take a look at.”

“So, you ship me off to live somewhere else, but what happens after college? When I go to Harvard?”

Dad smiles as though he has an answer for everything. “We either sell it at a profit or keep it as an investment. The place would get rented out in a heartbeat being so close to campus.”

“Ok,” I say.

“Ok?” mom repeats, making sure she’s understanding correctly.

“Yeah. Ok. I just have one question.” Dad’s lips pull into a tight line as he listens. “Can Nate move in with me?”

“Absolutely not,” he snaps.

“Oh, come on, Tobias,” Mom laughs. “You know they’re going to do it the second we step on that plane. At least she had the decency to ask first.”

I grin proudly at my mother before turning on my dad. “I know,” he sighs. “But I want my position stated for the record that I do not approve of it. Not for another few years at least. I don’t want any unplanned pregnancies until after law school.”

I shoot to my feet and slam my body into my father’s, rocking him back into the couch. “Hell to the mother effing yes,” I laugh, reaching across to pull mom into the mix. “Thank you, thank you, thank you. You won’t regret this.”

Dad scoffs, trying to pull himself free. “I already am.”

I ignore his comment and allow him to pull free. “Come on, you may as well look over these properties so I can contact the realtor first thing in the morning.” Dad grabs my hand and hauls me out of mom’s arms, and before I know it, we’re all crowded around dad’s computer screen going over the few options they deemed acceptable.

We cross out all the apartments off the list, coming to the realization that it’s probably not the best option for two eighteen year old girls to be living in an apartment complex, not knowing who could be living so close, learning our routines.

We’re left with three houses. All three beautiful in their own right. Certainly not the size of the home I have here, but appropriate for a home that a college student could afford to rent if need be.

Two are perfect brick homes, very cute with a double garage, four bedrooms, and little gardens out the front. The third is a three bedroom, cottage style house. It’s super cozy with a modern interior, but the exciting thing is the large backyards that all three possess; perfect if Brooke and I ever needed to have the spontaneous house party. Not to mention, they’re all a few minutes drive from campus.

“Can I let you know?” I grin as my mind starts to go over all the things I’m going to have to buy, not to mention all the new responsibilities I’ll have.

“Of course,” mom says. “Why don’t you go talk to Brooke about it and see if it’s even something she’d consider.”

“K,” I grumble, walking out of dad’s study. I stop in the doorway and look back at dad. “Can you email me the links?”

“Of course. I’ll do it now.”

“Thanks, daddy,” I smile as I make my way back upstairs.

By the time I’m pushing through my bedroom door and ignoring all the textbooks on my bed, my phone is beeping with the incoming email from dad. I open it up and look over the pictures again. I know which one I’m leaning towards, but if Brooke is going to be living with me then she should get an opinion.

I attach the links for the three homes in a new text to Brooke and get busy typing.

Tora – If you had to live in one, which would you pick?

My phone lights up with an incoming call not a moment later and I grin as I answer the call, knowing exactly how she’s going to respond. “What the hell are you going on about?” she questions, not bothering to wait for a ‘hello’.

“Answer the question. Which one would you pick?”

“Hold on,” she groans. I hear background noise, telling me she’s put me on speaker and is probably looking at the pictures again. “Ummmmm,” she says, drawing it out. “I’d go with the cottage one. It has personality.”

“That’s what I thought,” I say as my grin widens. “How would you like to live with me there?”

“What?” she grunts with a deep confusion. “What the hell are you talking about?”

“Well,” I say slowly, making sure she hears every single word. “Mom and dad are both going to London and they didn’t want me to be alone in such a big house. So… they asked if I wanted to move into a home closer to campus with you.”